Cabinet



Jan. 12, 1932. w. P. MOHUGH CABINET 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 15, 1950 a a a 4? a M 5 H u u Jan. 12, 1932.

CABINET Filed Oct. 13, 1950 W. P. M HUGH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 g '34 g g 28 2o Patented Jan. 12, 1932 UNITED STATES WILLIAM I. MCHUGH, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI CABINET Application filed October 13, 1930.

My invention relates to improvements in cabinets, and has for its primary object a cabinet which represents a miniature stage, the cabinet being capable of use in connection '5 with phonographs, radios and television.

A further object is to construct a cabinet which is equipped with a drop curtain and a draw curtain, the curtains adapted to be operated in sequence automatically by the 10 opening of doors located in front of the cab inet.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my device with the doors opened and the curtains withdrawn.

same taken near the top.

Fig. 3 is a fragmental vertical section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmental vertical section taken 20 on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmental sectional view of one of the doors showing the switchcontrol.

Fig. 6 is a view showing the manner of operating the draw curtain.

Fig. 7 is a detailed view showing the manner of preventing the draw curtain from operating.

F5 8 is a view illustrating the manner in which I prevent the drop curtain from being lowered.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the catch for holding the draw curtain in open position, showing the same in position on the bracket.

In the construction of my device, I employ a cabinet 9 which is of any desired construction, preferably rectangular. The front of this cabinet is open as indicated by the numeral 10 which opening is designed to be closed by means of doors 11 which are hingedly mounted on the cabinet. One of the doors 11 is provided with a lever 12 which is in the form of a bell crank. One part of the lever 1 is secured to the top of the door 11. The opposite end of this lever is free to swing and is designed to be brought into contact with a roller 13. The roller 13 has attached thereto a cord 14. This cord may be of any suitable flexible material.

The cord 14 passes over a sheave wheel 15 and has its free end secured to a pivot 16 Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the" Serial No. 488,277.

which pivot is carried by bars or tracks 17 and 18 on which rollers 19 carrying the draw curtain 20 ride. The pivot 16 extends through a slotted bracket 20A which is carried by the cabinet so that the tracks or bars 55 17 and 18 can be raised and lowered as illustrated in Fig. 6, thus permitting the draw curtain together with its roller supports to open and close.

Secured to the lever 12 is a cord 21 which passes around a sheave wheel 22. This cord is wound around a drum 23 which drum is mounted on a shaft 24. The gear 25 meshes with the gear 26 which in turn is mounted on a shaft 27, this shaft carrying the drop curtain 28 so that when the gears are actuated, the curtain 28 will be raised and lowered. The lower end of the curtain 28 is provided with a weight 29 so that the same will always descend and remain smooth.

At times it may be desirable to retain the curtain 28 in elevated position and I have, therefore, provided a pivoted lever 30 which has a projection 31. This projection can be passed into or between the gears 25 and 26 preventing their rotation. This is accomplished by means of the button 32 which operates the lever 30 so that when the button 32 is pulled outward, the projection 31 will move between the gears 25 and 26 and prevent their rotation, thus holding the curtain in fixed position; this fixed position, however, can only be obtained when the drop curtain is in elevated position because otherwise, it would be impossible to open the doors for the reason that the cord 21 would be immovable and consequently be torn.

As the doors are opened, the bell crank lever 12 swings in the path indicated in Fig. 2 by dotted lines and in so doing comes in contact with the roller 13 moving it forward in the slotted bracket 33, thus drawing up on the cord or flexible member 14 and raising the bars or tracks 17 and 18, thus permitting the draw curtains to slide apart and expose the interior of the cabinet.

To the rear of the draw curtains 20, I have provided a screen 34 which screen may be supplied with any suitable scene, but which however, is so arranged as to not interfere with the passage of sound waves. The painting of scenery, however, can be dispensed with when my device is used for television so that the object thus transmitted can be easily projected on a blank surface.

The roller 13 passes through a slotted guide 35 which guide is provided with a pivotally mounted catch. 36, the catch having a hooked end 37 so that when the roller 13 is brought to its forward position the catch can be turned by means of the knob 37 and the hooked end 37 moved so as to engage the lower portion of the roller 13, preventing its return to the starting position therebyholding the barsl7 and 18 in elevated position thus preventing the draw curtains from closing. The knob 37 can be reachedwhen the doors are opened by inserting the hand through the opening 10. The front of the cabinet is provided with pilasters 38 one of which is provided with a pocket 39. In this pocket is mounted a housing, 40. Extending through the housing 40 is a rod 41-which is actuated by means of a spring 42. The rod 41 is provided with a flange or extension 43 which contacts with one arm 44 of a U shaped rocking member 45.

The rod 41 is provided with an extension 46 which carries a contact point 47. To this contact pointis attached an electrical conductor 48-leading to any suitable source of electrical energy. Positioned above the contact point 47 is a contact 49 which is connected-to an electrical conductor'50. This leads to an electriclamp 51 which in turn is connected to a suitable source of electric current.

Extending through the housing 40 is a second rod 52 which is provided on one end with a projection or flange 53, this projection contacting with the arm 54 of the U shaped mem ber 45. The rod 52 is also provided with an upwardly extending projection 55 which is designed to be contacted with by means of the lever 12. The rod 52 has an extension 56 wh1ch carries a contact 57. This contact has attached thereto an electrical conductor 58.

Positioned above the contact 57 is a contact 59 which has attached thereto an electrical conductor 60. Thisconductor in turn is attached to an electric light or series of lights 61, the lights 61 being adapted to illuminate the pit 62 located to the front of the cabinet. but in the rear of the doors 11 while the lights or lamps 51 illuminate the device from the top, if desired, a switch 63 can also be supplied so that the illumination or lighting of the lights or lamps 51 and 61 will be op tional.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that as soon as the doors 11 are opened the spring 42 will close the electric circuit so that the top lights 51 will illuminate, then as the doors are opened farther. the lever 12' will come in contact with the projection 55- pulling it upward or outward rocking the U-shaped member 45,

thus closing off the top lights and then cause the contacts 57 and 59 to unite and illuminate the lights in the pit. In this way my cabinet will present all the features of a stage when the doors thereof are opened.

My cabinet may be used in connection with phonographs, radios or a combination of either radio and phonograph with television, as well as a combination phonograph and radio cabinet. .t can also be used as a miniature theater. My intention, however, is to manufacture the cabinet per se regardless of use to which it is put, it being my intention to sell cabinets made in accordance with this description regardless of the use to which they are put.

It will also be noted that the raising of the bars or tracks 17 and 18 is limited by the movement which can be imparted to the roller 13 which roller moves in the slotted bracket.

33, length of the slot governing this movement imparted by the movement of the bell crank lever 12. This also limits the opening of the door carrying this bell crank lever and consequently, the opening of the other door can be regulated so that when the doors are open, the cabinet will have a pleasing appearance.

I may also. if desired, mount a television device 64 on the rear wall of my structure so that any projections emanating therefrom will appear on the screen- 34.

I, may also mount a loud speaker 65 in the cabinet as disclosed in Fig. 2. In this way my cabinet can be utilized either for a television cabinet, a radio cabinet having a loud speaker located therein or the television deviceand loud speaker may both be placed within the cabinet.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim is 1. A device of the class described comprising a cabinet having an opening in its front, a door hingedlv mounted on said cabinet for closing said opening, a lever carried by said door. a shaft mounted in said cabinet, a drum carried by said shaft, flexible cable wound around said drum and having one end attached. to said lever, a gear mounted on this shaft adjacent said. drum, a second shaft mounted below said first mentioned sh aft and extending across the interior of said cabinet, a gear meshing with said first mentioned shaft mounted on said last mentioned shaft. a roller curtain. having aweighted lower end carried by said last mentioned shaft, said curtain adapted tobe raised when the door is opened and be self lowering when the door is closed.

2. The device of claim 1 in which means is provided for holding said curtain in raised position when said door is closed.

3. A device of the class described comprising a. cabinet having an opening in its front,

' a pair of doors hingedly mounted on said cabinet for closing said opening, a lever carried by one of said doors adjacent its hinge and adapted to move simultaneously with said door, a shaft mounted in said cabinet, a drum carried by said shaft, a cable wound around said drum and secured at one end to said lever, a gear mounted on said shaft adj acent said drum, a second shaft mounted below and parallel to said first mentioned shaft and extending across the interior of said cabinet, a gear carried by said last mentioned shaft and meshing with said first mentioned gear, a roller curtain having a weighted lower end carried by said last mentioned shaft and adapted to be wound thereon when said door is opened and to be self lowering when the door is closed.

4. A device of the class described comprising a cabinet having an opening in its front wall, hinged doors mounted in said opening, a bell crank lever secured to one of said doors adjacent its upper hinge, a roller curtain mounted to the rear of said doors, means operated by said lever for raising said curtain as said door is opened, a counterweight carried by the lower end of said curtain for lowering the same as said door is closed, means for holding said roller curtain in elevated position when the doors are closed, draw curtains located to the rear of said roller curtain, means operated by said bell crank lever for operating said draw curtains, and a translucent screen located to the rear of said draw curtains.

5. The device of claim 4 in which means is provided for holding said draw curtains in opened position when the doors are closed.

6. In a device of the class described, a cab-- inet having an opening in one wall thereof, a hinged door in said opening, a drop curtain in said cabinet behind said opening, means carried by said door for raising said drop curtain as said door is opened, means for lowering said drop curtain as said door is closed, a draw curtain located to the rear of said drop curtain, means operated by the curtain raising means carried by said door for operating said draw curtains, means adapted to hold said draw curtains in opened position when desired, means adapted to hold said drop curtain in raised position when desired and a translucent screen located to the rear of said draw curtains.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

WILLIAM P. MoHUGI-I. 

